A lot of video games are about progression. Progressing through a story, progressing across a map, and progressively becoming more powerful. It's a tried-and-true system to have you start a game relatively weak, and then become more powerful as you unlock new skills, find new weapons, and better understand the game's mechanics.
The Definitive List Of Power Fantasy Games
These games don't just give you power-ups; they offer ultimate power, the kind that power fantasies are built on, and that makes you feel unstoppable.
With that said, from time to time, a game comes along that bucks this trend. Instead of starting weak, you start immediately overpowered. Then, as you progress, the world adapts to your overwhelming power in an attempt to stop you, or at least slow you down. These next games are just a handful of examples of that style.
Prototype
Alex Mercer Is The Most Powerful Being In New York From Moment One
Prototype
- Released
- June 9, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
Right from the first moment in Prototype, there is no doubt who the apex predator in New York City is. Alex Mercer may not remember who he is or where his powers came from, but he has an almost innate ability to slaughter anyone he chooses, be it a civilian, a soldier, or a rabid mutant.
Does Alex become more powerful as the game goes along? Sure. Summoning spikes from the ground or turning his arm into a giant sword is certainly an upgrade. That said, he's a threat right from the outset with his enhanced strength, speed, and ability to consume anything he comes into contact with, absorbing its likeness and memories. The military takeover of New York is largely just to contain him, and it doesn't work at all.
Carrion
This Creature Was Locked Up For A Reason
Carrion
- Released
- July 23, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Phobia Studios
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Action, Indie Games, Puzzle
There is really only one goal in Carrion: escape. Sure, you can evolve, gain abilities, and grow in size, but the massive lab that you were trapped in is standing between you and freedom, and at the end of the day, freedom is all you're after. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the layers of lab security are there to prevent you from achieving.
With that said, there's a reason you're being contained in the first place. While it's not clear exactly what you are, one thing you know for sure is that you're very, very dangerous. Lone scientists and staff don't stand a chance against you; you'll consume them just for getting in your way. Even armed guards, who can at least put up a fight, will soon be your next snack as you devour your way to the exit.
God Of War (2018)
Kratos Has A Lot Of Years On Him
God of War
- Released
- April 20, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
The original God of War trilogy was one of the inspirations for this list, specifically God of War 2. To start that game, Kratos is cast from his throne as the God of War and sent to the Underworld, where he loses all the powers he acquired from the previous game and has to gain them all back (along with some new ones). Winning those powers back feels great, but losing them? That sucks.
Every God Of War Game, Ranked
Santa Monica Studio's God of War has produced many great games. Naturally, some of Kratos' bloody PlayStation adventures are better than others.
Thankfully, at the start of God of War (2018), Kratos has retained his godhood. Sure, he's a little older, a little slower, and a dad, but he's still a beast. Just look at how he manhandles Baldur, a Norse god whose thing is literally an inability to feel pain. Kratos takes a licking himself, but dishes it right back in kind. Kratos adds to his arsenal throughout the game, but he never really gets "stronger" exactly; he just learns how better to use his strength (and his axe) to carve up trolls, dragons, draugr, and other gods.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
It's The Hulk. Being OP Is The Point
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
- Released
- August 23, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T // Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Radical Entertainment had a good thing going in the 2000s with their open-world power fantasy games. Prototype was the most refined version of this formula (Prototype 2 was, really), but The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction was essentially the developer's proof of concept.
Unsurprisingly, when you start a game playing as The Hulk, you're starting the game overpowered. That's basically The Hulk's thing. Ultimate Destruction lets you leap huge distances, pick up cars, tanks, and massive pieces of concrete, and of course, smash. There's very little that can actually stop The Hulk, although plenty of things will try, from the military to Hulkbusters to Abomination. They'll need all the help they can get, because a rampaging Hulk is a bad time for anyone who gets in his way.
Just Cause 2
Protagonist Armor The Likes Of Which The World Has Never Seen
Just Cause 2
- Released
- March 23, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Third-Person Shooter, Action
Rico Rodriguez from Just Cause 2 is a different kind of overpowered. He's not super strong, and he doesn't grow new limbs, pick up tanks, or consume his enemies. What he does do is survive a dictatorship in the most absurdly badass ways you can possibly imagine. Officially, he's a field operative for the Agency, which is really just code for "He's a superspy." Rico has guns, cars, and gadgets, but his most powerful tool, believe it or not, is his grappling hook.
Rico doesn't exactly obey the laws of physics. He can jump out of a plane and grapple to the ground, and he'll walk away without a scratch. He'll gladly jump on top of a moving car, grapple onto a helicopter, climb into the helicopter, kill everyone inside, and then jump out and grapple back onto the moving car and land on its roof like a cat. Rico stretches the very definition of an action star. He's more like an ultimate protagonist. While the world does grow steadily more dangerous (and Rico has most of his main tools right from the start), let's be honest, no one is stopping this guy.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
All The Doom Slayer Needs In A Shield
DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Released
- May 15, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
The Doom Slayer was obviously going to show up here at some point, but while his appearances in Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal certainly kick off with him already being OP, he's on another level in Doom: The Dark Ages. He's actually (somehow) enslaved to start the game, controlled by Kreed Makyr through a device called the Tether. There's a reason the Makyr considers the Doom Slayer their ultimate weapon; he's basically a walking tank.
In most Doom games, the Slayer relies heavily on firearms to dispatch the forces of hell, but in The Dark Ages, he makes use of a defensive shield. That may seem counterintuitive to Doom's traditional brand of fast-paced shooting, but just wait until you try the thing out. Parrying isn't so much a defensive move as it is a way to punish demons for daring to attack you. You can also throw the shield (which has a spinning saw along its edge) to rip through enemies, kind of like if Captain America were a lunatic. You get the shield right at the start of Chapter 2, so even though you'll gather a typical arsenal of demon-killing firearms, you can dispatch pretty much anything from the beginning by bashing it to death.
Goat Simulator 3
The Goat Isn't Just OP; It's A Reality-Warping God
Goat Simulator 3
- Released
- November 17, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Coffee Stain North
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Adventure
"Overpowered" comes in many forms. For some games, it means unstoppable abilities, and for others, it means an unmatched array of weapons. Very few games take the approach that Goat Simulator 3 does. You don't have weapons, you don't have skill points, you don't even have powers in the traditional sense. All you have is an immortal goat with a sticky tongue and a lust for destruction, and your role is to indulge that lust at every opportunity.
Goat Simulator 3: The Best Things To Do First
There are plenty of hoofed shenanigans that players can get up to in Goat Simulator 3, though some of them are better done sooner rather than later.
Much like in Just Cause 2, physics don't really apply here (this seems to be a bit of a trend). The goat can stretch, bend, and twist into all manner of non-goat shapes to meet its destructive ends. Explosions, first-person shooter sequences, and boss battles can all be expected, but the main draw is the goat and its ability to tether itself to anything in sight. It's a simple mechanic, but when used right, it can lead to untold devastation. Between this and the goat's immortality, you aren't really playing as a farm animal; you're playing as a god of destruction in the guise of a farm animal.
Megaton Rainfall
Sure, There's A Story, But Godlike Powers In VR Are Too Fun To Ignore
Megaton Rainfall
- Released
- September 26, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Pentadimensional Games
- Genre(s)
- Action
There aren't many VR games that give you the sense of raw power provided by Megaton Rainfall. You play a super-powered being who is entrusted with protecting the Earth from an alien invasion. While you can't be killed, the Earth can be destroyed, and so your role is to prevent as much destruction as possible while fighting off the alien menace. With that said, this is a video game, so you don't have to do anything...
Your character has super strength and can fly at supersonic speeds, and you have the whole Earth as your playground, literally. Fly to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, then zoom over to the Arctic. Not only that, but you can leave Earth entirely, and eventually, the Milky Way as well. Moreover, every city in the game is destructible, so while you're supposed to be defending them, you can also destroy them. All of this is doable from the moment you set foot in the game, although you can find new powers to play with as you explore. For those without access to VR, you can also play Megaton Rainfall without a headset, but the experience is nowhere near the same.
Best Games For Living Out Your Ultimate Power Fantasy
Players who love the unapologetic joy that comes from power fantasies will find plenty to occupy their time in the following games.